The Theme of Power through Language in "The Handmaid's Tale"

Summary: Margaret Atwood's novel "The Handmaid's Tale" is a dystopic vision on the implications of the use and abuse of power. The main sources of power, used and abused, are fear, language, religious authority, control of information and the power of apathy.

Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale is a dystopic vision on the implications of the use and abuse of power. There are many types of power illustrated in the novel, each gained and maintained in different manners. The main sources of power in the book are fear, language, religious authority, control of information and the power of apathy. Through these types of power a number of important observations can be made, namely the attraction of extremism and the vulnerability of technology dominated societies.

The novel's main message about power through language is that it has great potential for indoctrinating purposes. By establishing set greetings and altering the naming systems in Gilead, the government automatically gains power. Both these imposed changes act as types of brainwashing. In the case of the set greetings and prohibited topics especially concerning the pre-Gilead period, restriction of freedom of expression occurs. The population...